Spring 2015 Newsletter - Excelsior

The Harborage
Sa t ur d a y Ap r i l 4
S PRING 2015
|
1 to 4 pm
|
W a yz a ta De p o t
New Lake Minnetonka book launches April 4
Paul Maravelas, editor.
Founded in 1972,
the Excelsior-Lake
Minnetonka Historical Society
preserves the history of Lake
Minnetonka and the
communities of Deephaven,
Excelsior, Greenwood,
Shorewood, and Tonka Bay.
The Society’s museum and
archives are free and open to
the public, and hold the largest
collection of historical
artifacts and documents in the
area.
The Society regularly presents
lectures and programs on
topics of local historical
interest.
The Society’s publications and
memberships are available for
purchase on our
website:
www.elmhs.org
ELMHS
P.O. Box 305
Excelsior, Minn. 55331
(952) 221-4766
[email protected]
T H R E E
L O C A L
historical societies have come together to produce Images of America: Lake Minnetonka, which will be
published by Arcadia Publishing.
The book was written by Lisa Stevens of the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society, Joanie
Holst of the Wayzata Historical Society, and Elizabeth Vandam of the
Westonka Historical Society.
The three Societies will celebrate
the book’s release with a public
launch party on Saturday, April 4,
from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the historic
Wayzata Depot, 402 Lake Street
East, Wayzata. The authors will sign
books, which will be available for
purchase at $21.99 plus tax. Light
refreshments will be served.
In Lake Minnetonka, the history of
the lake is detailed in 128 pages with
more than 200 historical photographs
drawn from numerous collections.
Many images which have never been
published before are now available in
one place. The authors spent more
than two years searching for images
and information in their archives,
and consulting with other historical
We’ll celebrate the release of Images of
America: Lake Minnetonka, on April 4.
societies, historians, and collectors
who shared knowledge and materials.
Original sources were studied to reexamine long-held assumptions about
the lake’s history.
Arcadia Publishing has issued more
than 7,000 titles in its Images of
America series, about 50 of which
relate to Minnesota. The book will be
available from the three historical societies, at area stores, and through
Arcadia Publishing.
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Tapping History programs
Our Tapping History programs are informal
monthly presentations on area history. Our April
program will be held at the Excelsior brewery;
our May program will be held at Cast & Cru Restaurant at the Old Log Theatre. Our programs in
June, July, and August will be aboard the steamboat Minnehaha on Lake Minnetonka.
All of our programs are open to the public,
and begin at 7 p.m.
Monday Apr i l 13 | 7 p m
S t ol e n f r o m t h e G ar d e n : T h e
K i d n ap p i n g of V i r g i n i a Pi p e r
wi t h Wi l li am Swanso n
Excelsior Brewing Co., 421 Third Street in Excelsior.
Free.
On a July afternoon
in 1972, two masked
men waving guns abducted
forty-nineyear-old Virginia Piper
from the garden of her
lakeside home in Orono. After her husband
paid a $1 million ransom, the FBI was directed to a northern
Minnesota state park.
There, two days after her nightmare began, Ginny
Piper – chained to a tree, filthy, exhausted, but physically unharmed – awaited her rescuers.
William Swanson, author of Stolen from the Garden, revisits the spectacular 1972 Piper kidnapping
and its aftermath, and provides details about the ab-
duction, the massive FBI manhunt, and a family
struggling with a shocking event that changed their
lives forever. Swanson provides a plausible explanation of what really happened on that long-ago summer afternoon.
Monday May 11 | 7 p m
H e ad f o r th e C el l ar : 50 t h An n i v e r s a r y of th e T o rn ad o e s of 1 96 5
wi t h Paul Hut t ner
Sp e cia l lo cat ion:
C a s t & C r u R e st a u ra n t a t th e Old
Th ea t re, 5 1 8 5 M ea d v il le S t., G ree n w o o d .
Log
Fre e.
On May 6, 1965, the worst tornadoes in Twin
Cities history swept across the region, killing 13 and
injuring 683. One of the twisters devastated more
than 150 Lake Minnetonka area homes. For those
who lived through it, it was unforgettable –
reshaping lake neighborhoods and obliterating many
homes in Cottagewood and Deephaven.
Meteorologist Paul Huttner was a preschooler
when the storm swept through his Deephaven
neighborhood – a moment he describes as his first
living memory and the day he became fascinated by
weather. He will revisit this intimidating storm
system through photos, audience stories, and the
radio broadcasts that saved many lives.
If you’re interested in sharing your story during
this event please contact Brianna DePauw:
[email protected] If you would like to lend
tornado artifacts or photos for this event, please
email: [email protected]
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Monday J une 8 | 7 p m
Monday J ul y 13 | 7 p m
T h e On aw a a n d L ak e M i n n e t on k a ’ s
R a i si n g th e Mi n n eh ah a: R e s t o r i n g a
Streetcar Boat
S ai l i n g L e g a cy
wi t h T om Bur t on
wi t h t he V ol unt eer s of t he Museum
of Lake Mi nnet onka
St eamboat M i nnehaha
$20 E LM HS me mb e r s / $35 non - me mb e r s
P ur cha s e ti c ket s at el mh s. eve ntb rit e .co m
B oa rd at B a ys id e Gr ill e a t 6:45 p m
687 E xc e ls ior Bl vd . in E xc el sio r
In 1882, Hazen Burton and other yachtsmen
founded the Minnetonka Yacht Club, today one of the
oldest yacht clubs in America. It was the start of a
rich sailing tradition on Lake Minnetonka, and
occurred at a time when sailing was considered a saltwater sport. Soon after, Hazen commissioned
Excelsior boat builder
Arthur Dyer to build a new
type of racing boat which
would sail over the water
instead of through it.
Hazen’s son Ward debuted
the mysterious craft — the
Onawa — in 1893. The
Onawa won every race
Burton competed in by
anywhere from seven to
sixteen minutes, and was
the first class sloop champion of 1893. It didn’t take
long for eastern yachtsmen to take notice of the
“Wraith of Deephaven.” Western boat builders and
yachtsmen gained the respect they deserved, and
Minnetonka became a notable sailing destination.
Deephaven resident Tom Burton, Hazen’s greatgrandson, is a fourth generation Minnetonka sailor
and accomplished inland racer. He will share his memories of the Lake Minnetonka sailing scene and discuss the mark the Onawa and the Minnetonka Yacht
Club have made in the sport of sailing.
St eamboat M i nnehaha
$20 E LM HS me mb e r s / $35 non - me mb e r s
P ur cha s e ti c ket s at el mh s. eve ntb rit e .co m
B oa rd at B a ys id e Gr ill e a t 6:45 p m
687 E xc e ls ior Bl vd . in E xc el sio r
In 1906, the Twin City Rapid Transit Co.
expanded its line of streetcars to include a fleet of six
yellow torpedo stern “streetcar boats” to ferry
residents and visitors to destinations across Lake
Minnetonka. With the rise of the automobile, the
Minnehaha was one of
several boats dismantled and sunk in
the deep waters of the
lake.
More than sixty
years later, with the
memory
of
the
streetcar boats fading,
a
local
diver
discovered the scuttled
remains
of
the
Minnehaha north of
Onawa
ELMHS
Big Island.
The
discovery started a fifteen year journey to restore the
Minnehaha.
The effort required a legion of
passionate volunteers and a variety of tradesmen.
The volunteers of the Museum of Lake
Minnetonka will take us inside their restoration effort
with help from some key volunteers who worked
hard to get each of its critical components just right.
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Monday Au gust 10 | 7 p m
B i g I s l a n d Pa r k
wi t h Paul Mar avel as
St eamboat M i nnehaha
$20 E LM HS me mb e r s / $35 non - me mb e r s
P ur cha s e ti c ket s at: e l mhs .e ve ntb rit e. co m
B oa rd at B a ys id e Gr ill e a t 6:45 p m
687 E xc e ls ior Bl vd . in E xce l sio r
As a tool to increase weekend ridership on its
streetcars and streetcar boats, the Twin City Rapid
Transit Company purchased 65 acres on Lake
Minnetonka’s Big Island and built a grand amusement park destination. In August 1906, with construction still underway, the ambitious but short history of Big Island Amusement Park began.
Above: The tower on Big Island built for the amusement park in 1907. The park operated only for a few
years; this photo shows the tower when the park had
closed.
Left: This staff dormitory from Big Island Park stood
until the 1980s.
Before its closing and abandonment five years later,
the park accommodated 10,000 guests on its busiest
weekends. It featured picnic grounds, electric
lights, a movie theater, a 1,500 seat music casino, a
tall light beacon, and Mission style structures designed by Leroy Buffington. It may have been the
only amusement park in the country requiring a
ferry ride, and it offered one odd and unique amusement feature, the Trip to Yellowstone.
Historian Paul Maravelas has spent much of his
life fascinated by Big Island and its history, the
subject of his forthcoming book. While cruising
along the island’s shores, Paul will share his reflections on the quick rise and fall of this interesting
landmark.
Annual member meeting
T hur sday, J une 25 | 6 p m
T he Commons Wor kpl ace i n downt own
Excel si or
540 La ke St. E xc el sio r
( in the lo we r le ve l o f th e Po st O ffi c e )
Come and celebrate the year’s challenges and
accomplishments, review the Society’s finances, and
elect the next board of directors. We’ll start with a
half hour of appetizers and socializing and enjoy
highlights from a rarely seen episode of TV’s
“Route 66,” shot in Excelsior and featuring the
Commons and Excelsior Amusement Park in 1963.
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Bar
Seated
audience
Speaker
Our Tapping History programs are popular affairs
More people are attending our Tapping History
programs than ever, and we thank all who’ve helped
make these events a success, especially Bri DePauw
and Dan Johnson, our program people. We’re aware
that these events are crowded, and we’ve added more
chairs and more aisles among the seating. We anticipate great interest in our May tornado program, so
we’ve scheduled that event in a larger venue.
T
We’ll continue our work to improve the experience. Please bear with us as we try new ideas.
We’re fond of the Excelsior brewery and enjoy superb support from them, and we feel it’s the best fit
for us at present.
̶ Paul Maravelas, ELMHS President
H E T O R N A D O E S of May 6, 1965, devastated parts of the Lake Minnetonka area, as seen in these
views from the collection of the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society. We’ll commemorate the 50th
anniversary of this event on May 11 at the Cast & Cru Restaurant at the Old Log Theatre; details are on page 2.
We’re interested in stories, photos, and artifacts relating to the tornadoes; learn how you can participate on page 2.
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MEMBERSHIP
Members shape the Society’s policies and programs,
and support our work in preserving the area’s history.
Annual member benefits include:
Members-only special events
Discounts on certain events
Newsletter and Society mailings
Voting privileges
Membership Levels
□
□
□
□
$15
$25
$50
$100
Senior
Individual
Bronze
Silver
□ $250 Gold
□ $500 Platinum
Name ____________________________________
Address __________________________________
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Museum will open June 6
VOLUNTE E R S N E E D E D
2015 hours: Tuesdays 2 to 6, and Saturdays 10 to 3.
Opening day for our museum will be Saturday,
June 6. We are changing our weekday hours to correspond with those of the Excelsior Farmer’s Market and the Excelsior Streetcar, which will both be
operating on Tuesdays this year.
The museum is located at 305 Water Street in
Excelsior. It features, among other things, artifacts
from the Excelsior Amusement Park, artifacts from
some of Lake Minnetonka’s steamboats, and the
legendary 1893 sailboat Onawa.
We invite you to volunteer to help staff the museum. It’s pleasant duty, and we guarantee you will
meet interesting people from the area. Contact
Kathy Endres: [email protected] 612 419 7296.
_________________________________________
Phone ____________________________________
Email ____________________________________
Mail to ELMHS, Box 305, Excelsior Minn. 55331. Make
checks payable to ELMHS.
This membership is a gift for:
Name ____________________________________
Address __________________________________
__________________________________________
Phone ____________________________________
Email ____________________________________
The recipient of your gift membership will receive a
hand-written card acknowledging your gift. You will also
receive an acknowledgement.
The University’s old apples
The University of Minnesota’s Horticultural Research Center is about to release a new apple variety,
and has asked the University community to vote on
its name. There are nineteen names under consideration, including Starstruck, Hurrah, Sparkler, and
Cool Burst. The University’s first apple breeding
project began in 1878 at Tonka Bay with Peter Gideon at its head, and continued there until 1889. The
breeding moved briefly to St. Paul, and then to its
present location near the Arboretum in 1907. Professors from the U often took the streetcar from the
St. Paul campus to Excelsior or Tonka Bay, where
they were met by automobile or truck and chauffeured to the station. Of the many apple varieties
introduced by University breeders, five have names
from the Excelsior area: Minnewashta, Manitou,
Tonka, Deephaven, and Zumbra.
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Thanks to our members and contributors
Platinum Level
Joseph Schwartz
Silver Level
Cheryl Ahlcrona & Carl Floren
Rick & Joan Ahmann
Scott & Joey Dake
Dodie DuToit
Katharine & Orville Fisher
Craig & Maureen Shaver
Gretchen Wahlstedt
Bronze Level
Susan & Jim Berdahl
Scott Carpenter
Cindy Gables
Betsy & Charlie Jones
Bill & Steph Naegele
Bruce & Jodi Noll
Dean & Rebecca Salita
Roger & Jane Stein
The Wetzel family
Individual Level
Terry Bolin
Sue Brakke
Conley Brooks
Tom Burton
Tim & Bev Decker
Kelly & Loretta Dunn
Juli Englander
Connie Frederick
Kirsten Halloran
Lyle & Mary Hathaway
Pamela Honzl
Miki Huntington
Bryce Johnson
Patrick Johnson
Richard J. Knapp
Rebecca Lembrich
John & Charlotte Lundquist
Kimberly Macey
Individual Level
continued
Senior / Student Level
continued
Martha Mayer
Ron McDaniel
Pam McDavitt
Mike Monson
Ronald Swain
Carrie Tietz
James Volling
Pam White
Heidi Kelly Jo Nord
Amy Norris
Erik Paulsen
Andrew Punch
John Purdy
Tina Rogney
Julia Sherf
Tom Skramstadt
Carol Smith
Jack Smith
Nancy Smith
Pat Smith
Pamela Stovern
Jake Sturgis
Jacob Westman
Barbara Wistrand
Ucahoot
John Uran
Diane Wentz
Senior / Student Level
Susan Anderson
Maureen Burns
Sue Cornelius
Susan Hocker
Don Hullsiek
Joyce Hummel
F.G. “Woody” Jewett III
Linda Loomis
Michael & Pamela Mason
Dora Meakins
Jean & Dick Mueller
Grace Norris
June Seamans
Contributions
Susan & Jim Berdahl
Conley Brooks
Kay & Bob Derner
Kathy & Mark Endres
John P. & Jan Gray
Ronald Hume
Eleanor Jewett
Paul & Chrissy Johnson
John Jones
Jamie Karlovich
Margaret Kaufhold
Tom & Carol Knowlton
Paul Maravelas & Joni
Scheftel
Alice & John Reimann
Nick & Kathy Ruehl
Tom Skramstadt
The Society acknowledges
the receipt of two anonymous gifts, and a matching
gift from the General Mills
Foundation.
This list of members and
contributors covers the
period August 1, 2014 to
February 28, 2015.
Stop whining: Minnetonka flooding was worse in 1882
Some organizations called this
“a historical high.” But water level records on Minnetonka, which
began in 1881, show that the highest recorded level was actually
reached in 1882, when the lake
rose to 932.66 feet.
Paul Maravelas, president; Lisa
Stevens, vice president; Joe
Schwartz, secretary; Betty Peck,
treasurer; directors: Bri DePauw,
Kay Derner, Ben Duininck, Kathy
Endres, Drue Gisvold, Patrick Hanson, Jerry Holl, Cate Honzl, Molly
Loomis, Tad Shaw, Amy Vasina.
Board of Directors of the ExcelsiorLake Minnetonka Historical Society
The water level reached a
high of 930.58 feet above sea level
on June 1, a few days before the
mandate was imposed. It continued to rise until June 23, when it
reached 931.11 feet.
PO Box 305
Excelsior Minn.
55331
The level of Lake Minnetonka was high in 2014, and
many docks and areas around
the shore flooded. On June 5
the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District mandated that
all boats on Minnetonka be operated at closed throttle to reduce wakes and protect the
shoreline. The mandate was
retracted on August 4.